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Showing posts from April, 2014

Global Entry: The Sequel - How it Really Works

A few months ago, I wrote about the process for getting Global Entry.  At the time, everything I knew about how it worked was all in the abstract.  I wasn't going to use it until Elias and I came back from Europe in the summer. Then, I had an unexpected trip to Argentina . So now...here's what I actually know about Global Entry.  And your mileage may vary depending on the airport and time of day and such, so feel free to take this all with a grain of salt... Leaving on a jet plane - TSA Pre Check Get ready to keep your shoes and belt on.  Scarves and light jackets can stay on as well.  The bag of three ounce liquids you carefully packed...these can stay inside your bag, along with your laptop.  Both times I went through security, the line to get through the pre check was longer than the American Airline's "status" lines (a big deal as I'm one to gain and lose status year by year - and that I was traveling with someone who currently had Gold).

Musings from Buenos Aires - Buenos Aires Day 6

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April 22nd, 2014 I always end my trip blogs on the plane ride home.  And honestly, unless something unforeseen happens on a plane, there isn't much of a story.  So I figured I would assume the plane ride went well.  Instead, here are some of the thoughts and such from this very quick trip.  It's all of the brain droppings I didn't have time for each day. "Just wait until you get the meat sweats."  Adele to me during Friday night's Parilla experience.  I did not get meat sweats, but I did eat my weight in meat over the last few days.  I'm not a super red meat eater, but I did partake hard here.  It was all so good.  I also never have swollen ankles.  My ankles are oddly delicate.  But today, as I sit on the couch and try to decide when exactly to take a nap (answer - NOW), I look down at my ankles and wonder what in the holy hell just happened.  My ankles are currently the size of my neck. Meat, glorious meat.  This was a half portion. I

Don't Cry for Me, Argentina - Buenos Aires Day 5

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April 21st, 2014 Don't cry for me Argentina The truth is I never left you All through my wild days My mad existence I kept my promise Don't keep your distance Have I said too much? There's nothing more I can think of to say to you. But all you have to do is look at me to know That every word is true (come on...you knew this one was coming) Adele is sick.  She caught a cold sometime last night.  Hopefully not because we sat outside for dinner.  Cause I'd like to not be responsible for this ("Let's eat outside!!  We haven't been able to do this for SO LONG!!").  She's very quiet today in order to save her throat from killing her. This is our curse.  And is increasingly becoming our curse.  Truth is, we aren't getting any younger.  So burning hard and bright for a short amount of time is unhelpful on our bodies.  It's something I'm now very concerned about as my trip to Europe with Elias is quickly com

Stand Back, Buenos Aires - Buenos Aires Day 4

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April 20th, 2014 Stand back, Buenos Aires Because you oughta know whatcha gonna get in me Just a little touch of star quality And if ever I go too far It's because of the things you are Beautiful town, I love you And if I need a moment's rest Give your lover the very best Real eiderdown and silence. We slept in today.  Tangoing (or sitting in a tango hall) until the wee hours of the night will give you license to sleep in.  And I know, based on how busy the streets were on our walk back to the hotel in the 2a hour, we packed it in early.  Adele mentioned how our tango place was open until 6am.  Had that been an option, I would have been a super unhappy camper.  I'm just not a night person.  Unless by night person, you mean curled up in jammies, watching the new episode of Orphan Black (NO SPOILERS!!  Seriously, people, do you not see I'm in a foreign country here!!  I don't want to know about Cosima's illness - message to BBCA...do no

Oh, What a Circus - Buenos Aires Day 3

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April 19th, 2014 Oh what a circus, oh what a show Argentina has gone to town Over the death of an actress called Eva Peron We've all gone crazy Mourning all day and mourning all night Falling over ourselves to get all of that misery right We both knew yesterday was mostly a lost day.  I mean, we did eat like champions, but we didn't see much of our surroundings.  So we had to start today out right.  The plans were set and we were ready.  After we had breakfast first. Our room is right above where they are cooking or something, because as we we'd getting ready for the day, we really smelled something lovely happening downstairs. We were probably early for when most people were getting breakfast.  830a in Buenos Aires seems like a time that everyone has heard about in passing, but no one has ever seen in person.  But we needed to see everything we could in the three full days we have.  So a jump start was necessary. As we sat down, we were greeted w

What's New, Buenos Aires?? - Buenos Aires Day 2

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April 18th, 2014 Once I learned I was going to live a life with fresh clothing (undies...I just want to see how many times I can say undies in the last few days.  Undies.), we set off to find our hotel.  On the flight, Adele also admitted a lack of preparation for this trip.  Again, not that we weren't prepared, but it was the little things that missed being considered.  Like getting too and from the hotel.  We had to figure out how the heck to get there. We left the airport and found a taxi stand.  Easy enough.  We had directions and we had the hotel name.  Our cabbie knows what's up.  The drive was fast paced to the Palmero district.  Rules of the road don't seem to apply to everyone and our guy was speeding as much as he could.  We saw the countryside pass us by.  Guys were riding horsies in fields as we drove by.  Our cabbie told us that on a normal day, the drive to our hotel from the airport could take about two hours.  Today, 30, maybe 45 minutes.  Why??  Good Friday